204811 Engaging youth in a community-based participatory assessment process to elicit community attitudes, behaviors and preferences related to access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Rickie O. Brawer, PhD MPH , Office to Advance Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Abbie Santana, MSPH , Family & Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
Kathleen Coughey, PhD , Research and Evaluation, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
Shirley Randelman, BS , Philadelphia Beauty Showcase Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Vanessa Briggs, MBA, RD, LDN , Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Melissa DiCarlo, MPH , Medical Oncology - Division of Population Science, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
Sheena Ahlawat, BS , Jefferson School of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance (PUFFA), a grantee of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food & Fitness initiative, undertook a comprehensive assessment to ascertain the community's attitudes, behaviors, barriers and preferences related to access to healthy, affordable food and safe places for physical activity. Grounded in CBPR methodology, the Evaluation Team, consisting of community and academic members, developed multiple assessment strategies designed to engage youth in the process. In partnership with the Evaluation Team, a community-based organization in each of four neighborhoods of interest recruited and supervised youth during the process. Youth were trained to conduct a survey with adults in their neighborhood, and to assess local parks and playgrounds. Youth also participated in a Photovoice project to document what helps and prevents them from eating healthier and being more physically active. More than 50 youth participated in at least one component of the assessment completing 667 surveys and 26 playground assessments. Four Photovoice projects were completed and presented by participants to other youth and the full PUFFA Alliance. Using triangulation, the Evaluation Team identified common themes across all Photovoice projects. Common themes and recommendations included community cleanliness and safety, creating community gardens in vacant lots, creating opportunities for family-oriented activity, enforcing existing regulations, equity among neighborhood walkability and facility conditions, and community organization. Thematic priorities were integrated into an eight year action plan for Philadelphia to create system and policy changes that improve access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity.

Learning Objectives:
Participants in the session will: ƒē Describe how CBPR methods can be used to engage youth in conducting community needs assessments. ƒē Describe how multiple Photovoice projects can be conducted, analyzed and integrated into a community action plan.

Keywords: Community Health Assessment, Photovoice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract author because I have presented previously at APHA and other state and National conferences on the built environment, Photovoice, using CBPR methods to develop low literacy materials and to assess the community. Presentations include the following: American Public Health Association, Using CCPR As An Intervention To Enhance Levels Of Social Capital Within A Community-Based Coalition (Round Table Discussion), Rickie Brawer PhD MPH, Julie Becker PhD MPH, Alice Hausman PhD MPH, Washington DC, November 2007. American Public Health Association, SHAPE-IT Project- Targeting African American Men At Risk For Stroke And Prostate Cancer (Round Table Discussion), James Plumb MD, MPH, Vanessa Briggs MBA, RD, LDN, Michael Rosenthal MD, Rickie Brawer MPH, Tinesha Peterson MPH, Washington DC, November 2007. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Annual Conference– Mobilizing Partnerships for Social Change, Coalition Sustainability: Identifying Meaningful Indicators, Rickie Brawer MPH, Julie Becker PhD MPH, Alice Hausman PhD MPH, Toronto, Canada, April 2007. DHHS/NIH, ODPHP National Obesity Action Forum, Invited speaker for panel on Tools for Community Partnerships: Sustainability, Rickie Brawer MPH, Rockville MD, June 2006 American Public Health Association, Using Participatory Research Methods To Develop A Low Literacy Breast Health Website Tailored To The Needs Of Sheltered Women, Rickie Brawer MPH, Leah Beck, James Plumb MD, Boston November 2006 Landscape Architects Regional Conference, Philadelphia, 2006, Keynote Speaker, Assessing the Built Environment to Promote Physical Activity, Rickie Brawer, MPH, James Plumb MD MPH American Council for Fitness and Nutrition, Invited speaker - TRIUMPH event in Philadelphia, Presentation about the Built Environment Assessment conducted in the Haddington Community. TJUH recognized for work in obesity with the Haddington Community Health Project, 2005 Built Environment Institute. Building Social Capital Through Active Living Initiatives: An Ecological Approach To Jump Starting A Community On Multiple Tiers. Built Environment Institute III of the American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, PA, 2005 American Public Health Association, Implementation of a Healthy Environments Collaborative, Plumb J, Stewart C, Paxman D, Rosenthal M, Brawer, R ., 2005 American Public Health Association, Assessing the Urban Built Environment to Promote Physical Activity and Health; Brawer, R., Brisbon, N., Plumb, J., 2005 Northeast Region STFM Conference; Brisbon, N., Brawer, R. - Assessing the Urban Built Environment to Promote Physical Activity and Health. 2005 Pennsylvania Public Health Association - Using Photovoice As A Technique To Encourage Previously Homeless, Recovering Male Substance Abusers To Identify Their Concerns/ Issues And Advocate For Change, 2003 Pennsylvania Public Health Association - Building Social Capital And Improving The Health Of Communities Through Partnerships, 2003
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.